Rotary well-pump.



F. 1. KIMBALL Romy wsu PUMP. APPUCATION FILED FEB. 3, |916.

1,245,466. Patented Novf', 1917.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

FRANK J'. KIMBALL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK J. KIMBALL COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY WELLPUMI.

Application tiled February 3, 1916.

. a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles,V in the county of Losviiigeles and State of California, have in nted a new and useful Rotary Well-Pump, .of A

tributed along the shaft in such manner as 'to provide the full lift required.

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a rotary well pump of the t pe wherein a plurality of propeller or tur me devices are prpv1ded on a vertical shaft forlifting the liquid by successive operation of said devices. The main object of the present invention is to provide forv effective lubrication of the hearings by which lthesaid vertical shaft 1s mounted within thy. p'ump casing. It is usual to provide a plurality'of bearings for said sliaft, distributednlonl,r the .j me, and such bearings re generally subject 'to considerable wear' on accouht" (if-lack of lubrication and by ,reason `of-the scouring action of grit carried by w'ater bein pumped. My 1nvention obviates this di culty by providing means for forcing' lubricant to the several bea-rings 'along the length of the shaft. Another obJect ofthe invention is to provide vfor more effective pumping action in pumps of this type. In pumps of this type 1t is usual to either provide a series of propeller or turbine devices distributed Imore or less uniformly along the shaft throughopt-its length, or else to arrange all of said 'propeller devices near the lower end gf the shaft. .I have,l found that "especial advan Itages can be'iobtained by combining the ,principles'of action and features of con struction of b ,oth o f these classes of pumps, namely* by providing a plurality of propeller devices near the bottom of the shaft and by further providing a series of pro` 'peller devices distributed along the shaft between said first named propeller devices and thetop of the well.

By this means I am enabled to utilize each bearing member' of the shaft, 1n the main portionof the.n pump casing, as a stator member, and to 'conveniently mount said bearing members'at thejoints of the casing sections, there being one stator and one propeller for each section. Inorder to provide the requisite bearings 'for the shaft, it is `sufficient to provide one bearing for each PasingV section when the casing sections are ofusual length, say' seven feet, but at economical speeds of working it is not prac- Specicatipi of Iietters Patent.

Verably a Vstator member for the Patented Nov. 6, 191.7.

Serial No. 75,916.

ticuble to lift the water by one propeller through a stage of seven feet. I' provide a preliminary set of propellers and stators at lthe lower part of the Jump for giving an upward pressure or li t to the water sup'- plementing the action of the propellers dis- The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and referring;r thereto,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of thepuinp with the head portion thereof in elevation.

Fig. 9. is a detail vertical section of one of the shaft bearings. f

vF ig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, F ig'. 2..i

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section of o'ne of the shaft bearings of the group of devices at the lower part of the shaft.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1, 1 designates the usual well casing within which is mounted in the usual manner the pump casing extending vertically and comprising a plurality of pipe sections 2 united by couplings or collars 3 screwed thereon in the usual manner. The pump head 4 is mounted on the upper end of the pump casing and is provided with the discharge or outlet means 5 for the` casing, and said member 10 being provided with larms 12 and' with a4 central hub 13 provided with thebearing 13 through which the shaft 6 passes. tutes not only a spider member for supporting the bearing for the shaft, but also prefpumping devices, the arms 12 of said'member 10 being curved so as to catch the water proceeding from the next lower propeller dev-ice and direct it into a vertical .course ready forthe action ofthe next higher propeller.

I At theblottomxof the series of pipe E;

The member 10 consti,

tions 2, the pump casing is further provided with a series of short cylinder or pump ber or propeller means 17 so that each stator member will rectify or direct vertically the 'whirling column of water forced upwardly vfrom the next lower propeller device.

In addition to the propeller devices 17 carried by the shaft 6, within the several pump sections 15, said shaft also carries a series of propellcrs or turbine rotors 19 dis tributed along its length preferably in such manner that one of these propellers is provided between each of the bearings of the shaft.l Vith this construction and utilizing each of the spider supports for the beari-ngs as a stator member, I am enabled to reduce toA the minimum the cost of the in stallation.

In order to lubricate the several bearings for the pump shaft I urovide means for forcin a lubricant, suclli as a suitable grease, downwardly through the shaft to the several bearings. For this purpose the shaft (i is rovided with a bore 20 communicating at lts upper end with means for supplying grease and communicating through perforations 21 in the shaft with the. respective. bearings 13. Each bearing 13v may consist of a bearing sleeve which may be formed of Babbitt. metal cast into the hub 13 as aforesaid and formed with a circumferential channel 23 communicating with perforations 21 in shaft 6. rl`he perforations 21 in' the shaft. are small compared with the bore 20 of the shaft so that the lubricating grease stored in the shaft will run slowly through these perforations into the channel A stallingbox 25 is provided at the top and bottom of each hub or bearing mcmbe'r 13, said stufting-box having a. spring 27 for pressing the gland 28 of said box against the packing 29 so as to insure a sufficiently tight packing. A lubricatedA bearing such as described is preferably provided for each of the bearings 'of the shaft along the length thereof including the top and bottom bearings for the pump. The pump may also be provided with one or more intermediate bearings such las indicated at 30 in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, said bearing comprising a Babbitt-metal sleeve within a hub 32 carried by the spider arms 16 of the corresponding stator member, saidl bearing sleeve being lubricated through a 34 in the wall of the shaft and a for each of the propeller members and, ex

cept in the/case of the pump elements provided with bearings, sleeves pass loosely throughlhe spiders 13Mof the stator members. A l said,slei ivcsare strung on shaft 6 and'clamped between a collar 38fast on the shaft. and nuts 39 on the shaft. Sleeves 36 are connected byv'dowel pins 31 t0 other and to collar 38.

The means foi' supplying lubricant or grease to the bore 2O in the shaft 6 may comprise the pump 40 of any suitable type one an-Y whose outlet isconnected by a pipe 41 to said bore and whose inlet is connected by a connection 42 to a reservoir or grease-cup43. Check valves 45 and 4G are provided respet-` tively in the connection 42 and at the top of the hollow shaft (3,- so that, on operation of the pump 40 the grease will be drawn from` the reservoir and forced through the pipe 41 to (be interior -or bore of the hollow shaft G. The grease reservoir or cup 43 is preferably provided withmeans, such as a piston 48, pressed by a spring 49 so as to force the grease to the'v inlet of the pump 40. A screw 50 is shown as connected to said, pistou and is provided with a nut. 51 whereby the piston may be drawn up against-thenction of the spring when it is desired to open the grease cup -or reservoir for filling. In order to disconnect the grease supply-means from lh/e'shaft in order to'permit a rotative operation of the shaft, the pipe 41'is connetted to the hollow shaft 6 by a union 50.

(i and exudes through the perfor-ations 2l and 34 in the shaft into the respective bearings 13 and 30. On account of the presence of this grease in each bearing the entrance of water carrying gritA into thebearing is prevented and the effective lubrication of the bearing is insured at all times. The lubrication of the bearing is continuous, there being always a supply ofvgrease in the hollow shaft, but said supply may be replenished whenever required by stopping the operation of the pump and coupling on the pipe 41 tothe hollow shaft by means .of the union 50. When the pipe has been charged with grease in the manner 4described, the union 50 is disconnected and the pump may then be set in operation without interference from the lubricant; supply means, the chegk valve 46 serving to prevent escape of the. grease from the shaft.

What I claim is:

1. In a rotary well pump, a vertical pump' casing, a plurality of bearings mounted l therein, a shaft extending through and mounted in said bearings and provided with means for rotation of said shaft, said shaft being hollow and provided with openings for communication witlrthe respective bearings, said openings being smaller' in crossl section than the hollow space Within said shaft, and pump means for forcing lubricant into said hollow shaft, said hollow shaft having a check valve to retain lubricant therein.

In. a rotary well pump, a vertical pump casing, a plurality of bearings mounted therein, a shaft extending through and mounted in said bearings and provided with means for rotation of said shaft, said shaft hang hollow ami-provided with openings .tor communication with the respective bears, said openings being smaller in cross section than. the hollow space. within said sha lit, pump means for supplying lubricant to said hollow shaft, said shaft having a cheek valve at its upper end to retain lubri cant therein, and stul'ling-box means at each end of each of said br rings, said stuiing box means being provided with packing and with springs for holding said packing in tight emulition.

In rotary well. pump, a vertical pump easing, a plurality ot bearings mounted therein, a. shaft extending through and mounted. in said bearings and provided with means for rotation of the shaft, said shaft being hollow and provided with openings for communication with the respective 'hearings, pump means detachably connected with the upper end olf said hollow shaft for forcing .lubricant into said shaft, and a 'check valve at the upper end of' said hollow shaft to retain lulu-icant therein when said pump means :is disconnected from the shaft.

4i. In, a rotary well pump, a vertical pump casing, a plurality of bearings mounted therein, a shaft extending through and mounted in said bearings and provided with 5. A rotary Well pump comprising a vertical pump casing consisting of a plurality of vertical sections and collars uniting adjacent sections, spider members clamped between. adjacent pipe sections. and formed with stator blades, a series of propellers on the vertical shaftalternating with said bearings, a series of short pipe sections at the lower end ot the pump casing and each provided with a stator member, and a series of propeller devices on the shaft alternating with said stator members.

6. A rotary well pump comprising a vertical. pump casing provided with bearings distributed along its length and with arms supiorting the respective bearings and formed as curved blades operatin g as stator means, a shaft mounted to turn in said bearings and provided. with propellers alternating with.

said stator means, plurality of stator members mounted in relativelyT close arrangement at the lower part oi: said pump casing, and propeller members on the lower part of said shaft alternating with the last named stator members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Los Aligeles, California, this 28th day of January, 1916.

VFRANK J. KIMBALL. 

